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This past Sunday was football day at our house. That means all the men were in the living room and the wives were in the kitchen chatting. Everyone was going on and on about all the major bargains at the stores from the post holiday sales. It was tempting to take a trip to the mall and get in on all the bargains. However, do you know how much strain is put on environmental resources for every piece of new clothing, especially during the manufacturing process? Instead of buying new, Kasen Seaver offers the following “new ways to shop.”

Yours for Mine?
Clothing swaps are one of the most prevalent options for recycling your old duds and scoring new ones. They can be as simple as gathering a group of friends and relatives in your living room.
In-home swaps involve:

Bringing unwanted clothes

Displaying them for all to see

Trying them on

Walking away with a brand-new wardrobe that didn’t cost a dime

Larger swaps follow the same premise but vary slightly from event to event. For instance, The Clothing Exchange in Australia hosts specific events for just designer apparel, accessories and clothes for curvier women. One event called “Mums and Bubs” allows moms to shop and swap not only for themselves but also for their kids.

Events such as these make it easier to narrow down what is accepted so you aren’t spending hours rummaging through items in which you wouldn’t be interested. Other swap events can be found on websites such as Swaporamarama.org. *Bonus: If you have trouble finding an event in your area, coordinate your own and post it on a swap site.

Online Hunting
As fun as it is to physically participate in swaps, sometimes you do not have time or they are too far away. That does not mean you have to miss out on inexpensive exchanges. Look on the Internet for sites such as the Freecycle NetworkTM.

Through the Freecycle NetworkTM people are linked with local groups and can view or post messages about free, unwanted items. When you see something you like, just respond to the member’s e-mail. If the owner selects you as the recipient, then the two of you work out a time to pick up the item. Also, check out other online exchanges at Dignswap.com.

Borrowing Chic
If you are in the market for designer handbags, sunglasses and jewelry, add Bagborroworsteal.com to your favorites toolbar. Bag Borrow or Steal allows you to rent authentic, designer pieces. You can rent by the week or month and receive additional savings for even longer rentals. When you are ready to send it back, print off a pre-paid return label and drop the box off at a UPS store near you. If you fall in love with your rental, don’t despair: you have the option to “steal” (purchase), if you absolutely have to own it permanently.

Happy Ending
The morals of the story are: trade, give and borrow. All are great options when shopping around for something new. They’re light on your pocketbook and benefit the environment at the same time. Happy hunting!